I've been sailing an old 5.0 for about 20 years and would like to get into a F-18. I'm always curious if there were any years/models to avoid due to construction, leaky hulls, etc. Is it worth the money for a non-racer to pay more for a later model with wave-piercing hulls v. and earlier model in good condition? I am not a racer, so I'm not particularly concerned about performance downwind or anything like that, but if certain years have quirks to stay away from, I'd love to hear it.
Your collective wisdom/input would be appreciated.
Thanks

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I am not a racer, so I'm not particularly concerned about performance downwind or anything like that, but if certain years have quirks to stay away from, I'd love to hear it.

If you're not a racer, why the F18? If there's brand loyalty involved why not a N5.7, or better yet, a N570? A fraction of a knot won't be noticed, neither will a couple of degrees to weather.

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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Having owned two of them, I would recommend a well cared for Hobie Tiger. It is built like a brick and is a blast to sail. If an F-18 is your future, it is an inexpensive way to try out the class.

If you have to move it around on the beach, a helper would be advisable as well as crew in heavier air. Anything up to 12 knots no problem single handling the boat. The roller furler jib helps in that regard. Keep the spinnaker in the chute when you feel over powered. I could go from trailer to water in under 1 hour by myself.

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dk

Blade F-16
Hobie 14
Corsair F-242
Mirage 25 (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
TomCat 6.2 (Sold)
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When I stepped up from a Hobie or Prindle to the F16, it was night and day difference. The hull shapes do make a big difference. Last summer on the lake I was sailing alongside a H16 and picked up their 3rd crew member to show the difference and it just smoked the Hobie.

You never mentioned if you are a solo sailor because in higher winds an F18 is a beast to tame even with 2 people. I think any F15,F16,F17 or similar would be a good upgrade and give you buck for your money. But as stated, if you aren't a non-race why does it matter in the first place. I like to go fast on my F16 as well but when I race an F18 it's up another notch and at times not for the faint of heart.

Don't know where you are but if you just want to experience the difference in hulls, go check out your local cat club and crew on them.

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1980 Prindle 18 (sold)
1984 Hobie 14Turbo (sold)
2013 Nacra F16
2018 Topaz Uno RaceX
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Going to an F-18 90% of the time you're going to need a crew to sail the boat right.

I agree on the Hobie Tiger, well built boats.. and the FX-1 is a good boat too that will give you some better performance if you're single handing.

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John Schwartz
Ventura, CA
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When I stepped up from a Hobie or Prindle to the F16, it was night and day difference. The hull shapes do make a big difference. Last summer on the lake I was sailing alongside a H16 and picked up their 3rd crew member to show the difference and it just smoked the Hobie.

There seems to be a widespread misconception that the Hobie 16 is a poor performer compared to more modern designs. Of course it can't out sail an F-16 or other similar boats with high aspect ratio mains and dagger boards. But I believe with so many H-16s out there, there's going to be a lot of them being sailed not all that well. When someone's sailing one who really knows what they're doing, it can be a revelation. I have always had no problem out sailing them in my G-Cat, especially when there's a lot of tacking involved, but every now and then... About a year ago this Hobie 16 fell in a few hundred yards behind me and it took quite a while for me to realize I was pulling away from him. I was doing everything I knew. We met up later and it turned out he was an old guy like myself and had many decades experience on the Hobie. I have always wondered about the design of the H-16. Why the low volume hulls? And having the rig relatively forward isn't going to reduce pitch poling either, even the bridle is attached to the very front of the bows. What was Hobie thinking? Yet despite it's obvious drawbacks, it's rugged, able to withstand years of running up on the beach. They have a loyal following and good used ones are available.

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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shortyfox

About a year ago this Hobie 16 fell in a few hundred yards behind me and it took quite a while for me to realize I was pulling away from him. I was doing everything I knew.

What was your point of sail against the H16? Getting to the downwind mark, there is no misconception on its performance against an F16. Plus he was sailing solo, right?

All that said, racing PYS open fleet against a H16 just isn't worth it. In my experience, D-PN 76 is rather generous and with a good skipper at the helm, you loose 24 out of 25.

dwk, nice to see another F16 sailor on the list.

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dk

Blade F-16
Hobie 14
Corsair F-242
Mirage 25 (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
TomCat 6.2 (Sold)
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What was your point of sail against the H16?

Close hauled. It wasn't blowing enough to be on the wire, in fact we were both having to occasionally move towards the leeward side to induce heeling. I hear you about handicap racing. It's very subjective. If racing's your thing, the H-16 has an advantage because there are more fleets of them and and competing against identical boats is the only true fair way.

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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